Parachute pack



July 26, 1949. I FOGAL ETAL PARACHUTE PACK I Filed July 19, 1948 2 Shets-Sheet 1 1 vow 1km $.L.Fo al A.M;Mz nick July 26, 1949. G. L. FOGAL ETAL PARACHUTE P 2 Sheet -s 2 Filed July 19 1.948

6 ir n Patented July 26, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PARACHUTE PACK Gordon L. Fogal and Albert M. Mitnick, Washington, 1).0.

8 Claims.

amended April 30, 1928; 370 'O. G. 757) The present invention relates to parachute packs .andmore particularly to parachute packs figaptedfor use with aerial launched mines lorthe e.

In parachute packs heretofore devised for use with :aeriailylaunched mines it has been found that in certam cases the static line is not initially taut and becomes prematurely :loose as the 'result of the wind drag thereon at the high speeds nf travel of modern aircraft :causing :the pack to be opened prematurely and the parachute to (be released therefrom before the mine has been released from the aircraft and, furthermore, that .a metal clip is usually secured to the free :end of the static :line whereby, when :the parachute and mine have been released from the -.aircraft in flight, the -slipwstream vof the aircraft causes the static line :to whip with the result that the clip acts like a flail and damages the fuselage during the flight of the ."a'i-rcraftazfter the mine has been released therefrom.

the device of the "present invention the aforementioned idifliculties have been substarrtiab -l'y eliminated by providing the pack with :a static line having means for adziustment of the length thereof after the :static line has been disconnected therefrom,wheretry the line is drawn taut to prevent whipping :of the line in Ftheslip stream of the aircraft zsufficient to pull out :an additional length of the line, thereby preventing aprematu-re opening of ;the pack. The pack of the present invention "is further :arranged in such a manner that the cover, when released, acts as :a pilot to .pull the parachute from the .pack therefore ensuring the opening of the parachute after the mine has been secured "the aircraft. Another important advantage-10f the present invention is the eliminationof 'the'destrnction effect of the lfiail action of the static *corcl hyiproviding a new a'nd improverl cover retaining 'clip which is arranged in such a manner that thezci-ipzis detached from the static line after having be'enrpul-led clear from -the retaining pin to release the cover.

Anobjeet -.of :the :present invention is 'to provide a new and improved parachute pack which particularly adapted for use with mines mounted on racks of the launching aircraft.

Another object is to provide a :static line vfor a ,parachute pack which is freediof dangling metallic parts at the .free *end thereof after the static line .has .been :separated from the pack thereby preventing damage therefrom to sthe aircraft.

another object is .to provide :a new and parachute pack which is readily releasable and which is held positively in the latched position prior to the release thereof.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved parachute pack in which .the opening of the parachute is invariably ensured after the mine is released from the launching aircraftin flight.

A further object is to provide a new and improved arrangement for .stowing and releasably securing a length of static line .on the coverof a parachute pack in a neat, efficient, and-compact manner.

A still further object is to provide a new and improved-housing fora parachute which is strong, durable, and well adapted for the purpose intended.

Other objects, advantages, and arrangements will be apparent to those skilled in the .art from a consideration :of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the tail portion of a mine having attached thereto a parachute pack in accordance with a preferred form of the present invention, the pack being partially broken away to show a portion thereof 1 section;

Fig.2 is an elevation of the'parachuteipack :as viewed from the cover end thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view of the inner face of the static line pocket, the rivets being shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a view of the inner face -.of the cover showing the line connecting the cover with .the parachute;

Fig. :5 is a detail elevation of a preferred form of detachable clip for use with the static line;

Fig. 6 is 'an-edg-e elevation of the-clipcf Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail elevation of a -modified form of clip; and

Fig. '8 is an edge elevation-of the clip of '7, parts being shown in section.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like numerals 'of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, a :min'e of the type adapted to 'be launched :from anaircraft in flight -is indicated generally at 10, Fig. l, a parachute :pack in accordance with the present invention 'being attached "thereto :and indicated generally at H. The pack H includes a dish-- shaped housing t2 and a-cover l3 therefor. Enclosed within the housing is a parachute M having a canopy l5 provided with, a plurality -of shroud lines 16 having loopedends I'l.

lmproved latch arrangement for the cover of a V .Ilhe housing i2 ,is providedat the rim thereof 3 with a plurality of notched portions |8 to accom modate the shroud lines I 6. Adjacent the noches l8 pairs of openings |9 within the housing 2 are positioned. Lashings 2| are passed through openings I9, around lines l6, through notches l8 and knottedwithin the housing |2 thereby form ing a secure fastening between the housing and each of the shroud lines. The looped ends H of the shroud lines are secured as at 22 to a para chute release mechanism 23 which may be 'of the type which automatically releases the parachute as the mine strikes a body of water. l

The end plate 24 of mine H] has mounted thereon a centering lug or post 25. Housing |2 ber 21. Rivets 28 are used to secure the member 21 to housing I2. over lug 25 to center the pack I on the mine.

The cover l3 rests against, shoulder 29 adjacent the rim of housing l2 and is provided with a centrally disposed opening 39 to receive a pin 3| secured at one end to cup-shaped member 21; Pin 3| has atthe opposite end thereof a circumferential groove or reduced portion 3'2 dcfining head 33. Pin 3| is of such length that 'the'cover |3 must be sprung slightly inwardly to position a bifurcated clip such as the clip 34 on pin 3| between head '33 and cover I3. 34 is provided with'an off-center slot 36 form; ing the bifurcation thereof, the slot accommodatiing reduced portion 32 of pin'3l. Clip 34 also is provided with slot 31 to receive a static line 38 as 'will be hereinafter more fully described.

A rectangular fabricpocket 39 is fastened to the outer face of the cover-l3 by rivets 4|. A portion of the length of static line 38 is stowed in the pocket 39, the static line being arranged in a plurality of folds 40 in side by side relation across the width of the pocket 39. One of'the line 38 has one end thereof looped through a a trigger hook 43,-the loop bein held in adjusted position by a fastener 44. In the use of the mine with external racks on launching aircraft it is particularly desirable to have the static line drawn taut, in order to prevent whipping of the line in the slip stream of the aircraft and thereby to obviate the danger of accidental release of the parachute before the mine is launched. It is also desirable to have line 38 taut when the mine is supported in an internal rack in order to prevent the line fouling in adjacent gear. 6

The aforementioned result is accomplished by the use of fastener 44 whereby the length of the static line may be adjusted to a taut condition after the trigger book 43 is secured to the aircraft. 7

The static line 38 is attached to the launching aircraftby the trigger hook 43 and extends into the pocket 39, the line being detaehably fastened to the pocket by bar tacking 45. The line 38 extends to the opposite side of pocket 39 where it is folded under and continues in the opposite direction to'a point beside the point'of entry of the line intothe pocket; The line is again Member 21 fits snugly.

cup

is bar tacked thereto as at 41 and the line 38 hems 5| at the edges thereof and *st' ched as at r Secured by rivets 53 to the cover I 3 at the ends thereof is a short length of looped webbing 54. Bar tacking. 55 adjacent the looped end of webbingf54 forms an eye 56. A line 51 is fastened to eye 56 at one end thereof in any well known manner such, for example, as shown at 58, Fig. 4. The other end of line 51 is fastened to the hem of the parachute canopy l4 in a manner such, for example, as at 59. a

' In operation the parachute pack of the present invention is attached to a mine or the like adapted to be launched-from an aircraft in fight. The static line'38 is attached to the aircraft by means of the trigger hook 43, theinine being releasably supported on either an internal rack or in the fuselage an external rack on the wing of the aircraft, as the case maybe. As the mine is released and falls away from the aircraft, the static line is pulled from the pocket 39 thereby severing thefba'r tacking 45 and progressively 'severingLstitchin'g'49; bar tacking 46, pulling off clip 34 from pin 3|,' 'and severing bar tacking 41 and" in the order named; The coveris now disconnected from'thestatic line and theclip slides: over the free end of the static line andis disconnected therefrom. As clip 34 is drawn from pin- 3|, cover I3 is releasedand movesaway from housing I2, this motion 'offthe' coverelative to thehousing-beingfassisted'by apull on the static line at bar tacking 41*ahd' "48 before :the static line is disconnected from the cover.

Cover |3 acts as a pilot as it moves away from housing l2 and draws webbing '54 and line 51 from housing l2. .Whenline51 is completely withdrawn from housing |-2, parachute canopy I5 is withdrawn by the cover 13- to which a length ofline from the housing is secured thereby ensuring the opening of the'parachute. 1 r

If desired'the bifurcated end of clip 34 may be bent in such a manner as to partially close the open end of slot 36 whereby accidental displace ment of theclip is prevented.

Analternate. form :of clip '34 is illustrated "i generally at 6|; The clip .comprises'a'pair of sep- Figs. 1 and 8'of the drawingsand is indicated arable'coactingplates 62 and63 arranged in' su perimposed relation and each having an aligned elongated slot .64 to receive. groovedportion 32 of pin 3|, the uppermost slot preferably having a depression v65 to receive head'33 -of pin 3|. Plate 62has a's'lot66 opening'to' the'left'while plate63 has a slot61 opening to'theright as il' lustrated particularly in Fig. '7. r

Slots 66 and 61 coact to receive static line 38 In order to maintain the plates 62' and 53in su- 6| are arranged to separate as the clip is; drawn from pin 3|,' thereby permittingplates 62,and 63 to fall away from the static line without'the necessity of theclip travelling to the end thereof. Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in theilight of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government'of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Parachute launching apparatus comprising, in combination, a dish-shaped housing, a cover for said housing, a parachute enclosed within the housing and secured at the rim thereof to said cover, means including the shroud lines of said parachute for securing the housing to a load to be-launched from an aircraft in flight, means for releasably securing said cover to the housing, and a static line secured at one end thereof to said aircraft, the other end of said static line being attached to said releasable securing means whereby the cover is released from the housing after the load is launched from the aircraft.

2. Cover releasing apparatus for a parachute pack comprising, in combination, a dish-shaped housing forming a part of said pack, a cover therefor having a central bore therein, a pin centrally secured in said housing and having a head portion adapted to extend through said central bore, a bifurcated fastener for said cover adapted to be positioned between the head of said pin and the outer face of the cover, a rectangular fabric pocket fastened to the outer face of said cover adjacent said fastener, and a static line secured at one end thereof to a launching aircraft, a portion of the length thereof being stowed in said pocket in side-by-side folds, one of said folds extending beyond the confines of said pocket and having attached thereto said fastener whereby the cover is released from the housing by the fastener being withdrawn by the static line after the parachute pack is launched from the aircraft.

3. Cover releasing apparatus for a parachute pack comprising in combination, a dish-shaped housing forming a part of said pack, a cover therefor, means for releasably securing said cover to said housing, a rectangular fabric pocket fastened to the outer face of said cover adjacent said releasable securing means, a static line adapted to be secured at one end thereof to a launching aircraft, a portion of the length thereof being stowed in said pocket in side-by-side folds, one of said folds extending beyond the confines of the pocket and having attached thereto the releasable securing means and frangible stitching for releasably retaining the stowed portion of said static line within the pocket.

4. Apparatus for releasing a parachute from a closure attached to a mine adapted to be launched from an aircraft in flight and comprising, in combination, a static line having one end thereof attached to the aircraft, a rectangular fabric pocket for stowing a portion of said static line, a housing forming a part of said closure for said parachute and having a removable cover therefor, means for securing said pocket to the outer face of said cover, means including a bifurcated clip for releasably securing said cover to said housing, said clip having an opening therein, the stowed portion of said static line being arranged in side-by-side folds across the width of said pocket, and means for releasably securing said stowed portion of the'st'atic line at the folded ends thereof to the pocket, one of the loops of thestowed portion of the static line extending beyond the confines of the pocket and passing through the opening in said clip whereby when the mine is launched the folds of the static line are drawn in succession from the pocket thereby releasing said cover when the clip is withdrawn from the pin.

5. A closure for a parachute for a mine adapted to be launched from an aircraft in flight and comprising, in combination, a centering lug attached to said mine, a dish-shaped member hav-: ing a central bore therein, a flanged cup-shaped member extending through said central bore and secured to said dish-shaped member and adapted to receive said lug, an elongated pin secured to said cup-shaped member and having a head portion extending beyond the confines of the dishshaped member, a cover for said dish-shaped member having a central bore therein to receive said pin, a static line releasably stitched at an end portion thereof to said cover and secured at the other end thereof to the launching aircraft, and a clip positioned between the head portion of said pin and the outer surface of said cover; said clip being adapted to be withdrawn from said head by the static line after the mine is launched thereby to release said cover.

6. In a parachute pack adapted for use with aerial launched mines and comprising, in combination, a parachute including a plurality of lines attached thereto, means for securing said shroud lines to the mine, a dish-shaped housing for said parachute, means for securing said housing to the shroud lines, a headed pin secured in said housing and centrally disposed therein, a cover for said housing and having a centrally disposed opening to receive said pin, the head of said pin extending beyond the outer face of the cover, a pocket secured to the outer face of the cover, an adjustable static line, one end thereof being secured to the aircraft and a portion of the length thereof being folded within said pocket, said folded portion being arranged in side-by-side folds across the width of the pocket and releasably stitched to the pocket adjacent the ends of each fold, one of said folds extending a distance beyond the confines of the pocket, a clip having a slotted opening at one end thereof within which said static line is disposed, said clip being positioned at the extended loop of said one of said folds, said clip being bifurcated at the end opposite to said slot thereby to receive the headed end of said pin and releasably retain said cover on the housing, and a second line secured at one end thereof to the parachute and at the opposite end thereof to the cover whereby the cover and static line ensure the discharge of the parachute from the housing after the cover has been released from the housing by the displacement of the clip in response to a pull thereon by the static line, the cover thereafter serving as a pilot to pull the parachute from the pack.

7. A parachute pack for a mine adapted to be launched from an aircraft in flight and comprising, in combination, a parachute canopy having a plurality of shroud lines attached thereto, a dish-shaped housing for said canopy having a centrally disposed headed pin extending there'- through, said housing member having a plurality of notches at the lip thereof to permit the shroud lines to pass therethrough, said shroud lines be- 1. ing lashed to the housing adjacent said notches and having looped ends adapted to besecured to the mine, a cover for said housingzhaving a centrally disposed opening therein to receive said pin, the head'of said pin extending'through said opening, a pocket secured to said cover, a length of static line adapted to be folded into said pocket, the free end thereof being adapted to be secured to the launching aircraft, said folds being arranged in side-by-side relation across the width of the pocket and releasably stitched adjacent the ends of each fold to the pocket,'one of said folds being extended a distance beyond the confines of the pocket, a clip having a slot through which the static'line passes and adapted to be positioned on the outer end of said one of said folds, said clip being bifurcated to receive'the headed end of said pin thereby to releasably secure the cover on said housing, and a line secured at one end thereof to the cover and at the opposite end thereof to the hem of the canopy whereby the cover acts as "a pilot to draw the canopy from the housing member when the cover has been released from the housing member by the static line.

8. Apparatus for releasing a parachute from a closure attached to a mine adapted to be launched from an aircraft in flight and comprising, 'in combination, astatic line having one end thereof attached to the aircraft, a rectangular fabric pocket for stowing a portion of said staticsline, a housing forming "a part of said closure and having a removable cover therefor, means'for securing said pocketlto the outer face ofsaid cover, means on said housingand includinga bifurcated clip for releasably securing said cover to said housing, said clip comprising,- two complementary elemental portions releasably secured to said static line when the clip 'is secured to said cover whereby the clip is adapted to be detached fromthe cover in response to a pull thereon vby the static line'as' the mine falls away from the aircraft and thereafter bedetached from the static line, and dowelmeans for pre- No references cited. 

